Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

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Jeavsy
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Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

Post by Jeavsy »

Hi all. Our seat covers have pretty much had it with the beading breaking apart and the fabric splitting in a number of places. We are planning to get them re-upholstered. Any thoughts out there on vinyl vs fabric? Would vinyl be too uncomfortable (sweaty) on long journeys? I prefer the look of the vinyl, but don’t want to end up wishing for fabric! Not too bothered from a sleeping perspective as we use a memory foam mattress topper. Thanks, Mike.
1990 Calypso Green Westfalia Atlantic pop top 1.9TD

RogerT
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Re: Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

Post by RogerT »

I have painful memories from the early 70s of getting into baking hot cars in the summer, with roasting vinyl seats. Wearing shorts!

Don’t go with vinyl, unless you’re into that kind of thing...
Have you ever seen an unhappy fool?

88 Transporter with hitop camper conversion, 1.6td.

Jeavsy
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Re: Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

Post by Jeavsy »

RogerT wrote:I have painful memories from the early 70s of getting into baking hot cars in the summer, with roasting vinyl seats. Wearing shorts...

True - I have the same memories! I was hoping vinyl might have improved since then, but I guess it’s fundamentally the same product. Thanks for the input.
1990 Calypso Green Westfalia Atlantic pop top 1.9TD

hightop ratty
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Re: Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

Post by hightop ratty »

Vinyl is easier to clean - I love leather seats & hate the fabric seats we have in our modern car (wife wanted the wheels that went with the fabric seat models - i'd have had leather & the better stereo system anytime - did try to get main dealer garage to swap wheels (on a 1,500 mile car) but they wouldn't even consider it :-(
With a new born / toddler - leather would have been great (as is the air con / tinted windows :-)

Remember the vinyl seats in my dad's 1970's cars - heat burns in shorts was an understatement - sure a few sun shades / tinted windows would have helped - but we didn't even consider doing things like that that back then.

The original vinyl seats in my camper are great - would never have fabric in there (we use a thick quilt to keep us off the sweaty back seats) - fabric seats & leather look covers could be an option - & gives you (best of both worlds -- but I would go vinyl / leather all day long ;-)

RogerT
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Re: Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

Post by RogerT »

I think there’s a world of difference between vinyl and leather. I don’t recall sitting in any leather seats in the 70s but I’ve been sitting in leather for years on my other cars, (but not in Angus Young shorts, curiously enough... :pimp ) and have found them much better than my memory of vinyl. Leather does have some inherent breathability, maybe not as much as fabric, but way more than vinyl, plus it doesn’t soak up the heat from the sun!
Have you ever seen an unhappy fool?

88 Transporter with hitop camper conversion, 1.6td.

mike9009
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Re: Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

Post by mike9009 »

We have vinyl seats throughout the van. I drive in shorts and never had an issue (but I used to in my Dads 1976 Allegro!!). The front seats were completed a few years ago.

The rear seats (for the kids) were done this year (also in vinyl). So far, not really been tested on hot days, but we are going to France this year so it will be a good test.

The vinyl is easy to clean and looks (in my opinion) really good. I was concerned about getting sweaty at night on the vinyl, but the upholsterer I used put a cloth on the base so hopefully this will be more comfortable. The fabric base is also recommended to allow air to escape when they are sat/ jumped on to prevent the seams bursting. If the seats get too hot at the rear, I will rotate them for the kids temporarily.......

Mike

Jeavsy
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Re: Vinyl or Fabric Seat Covers?

Post by Jeavsy »

Thanks all - some useful thoughts there. The upholsterer has also suggested a mix of vinyl and fabric. We were thinking of going for 2 different colours of vinyl anyway, so that might be an acceptable compromise. Will give it some mor some more thought and maybe try to find some vinyl seats to sit on whilst we’re having this spell of nice weather!!

Will post pics of whatever we decide to go with.
1990 Calypso Green Westfalia Atlantic pop top 1.9TD

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